Country: Lithuania

Club: Rotaract Club Vilnius International

District: 1462

Everybody of you had one, right? Was it big and colorful, stuffed with all those brand new things and maybe even had a reflector hanging on it? At the end, it does not matter if it had a dinosaur, kite or bicycle painted on it, the most important thing is that you had one, because not everybody, unfortunately, does.
A couple of years ago, in 2016, members of Vilnius International Rotaract Club conducted a research, which showed that:
– 28% of families, raising the first graders in Lithuania are unable to provide them with the necessary school equipment

That is so, because:

– children are raised by a single mother/ father;
– families consist of a large number of children;
– alcohol consumption or psychotropic drug use is involved
– 28.6% of families live below the poverty line

Having investigated the data above, it became more than obvious that something must be done about it and soon. Therefore, the members Vilnius International Rotaract Club came up with an idea to provide the first graders, coming from the social risk families or families living below the poverty line, with the most necessary equipment to start school.
What we took care of?
– a backpack
– school stationery supplies
– school uniform
– school sports bag
– sportswear

Starting school at the age of 6 or 7 can be already something extraordinary since a kid often has no idea of everything that awaits – all of the sudden a ten times bigger building, bunch of new people, sometimes friendly sometimes not, different learning environments, a grading system no one has ever heard of before, fitting in or finding new friends – and on top of that – social exclusion? Undoubtedly, all of that would be too much to take.

Vilnius International Rotaract Club strongly believes that every child has the right to start off his journey of education with the head held up high!

In 2016 and 2017 the team contributed best they coul by helping 90 young learners feel dignified, brave and simply happy to enter a new chapter of life! In 2019 we continue our story with even bigger ambitions and solid plans, turning to great legacy and positive impact on humanity.